Bollywood actress Preity Zinta said that Twenty20 leagues around the world "have the potential to eclipse" int'l cricket as the shortest format of the game "continues to attract new fans," according to Nick Said of REUTERS. Zinta co-owns Indian Premier League side Kings X1 Punjab and South African side Stellenbosch Kings, which is part of the newly-launched T20 Global League. She believes the growth of these leagues "could surpass interest and investment" in int'l cricket. Zinta: "The way the format is and the way the leagues are structured, I think in the near future you are going to see league cricket take over. If you look at other sports like football, of course the country sport is there and it is very important, but then it is the league sport that takes over at some point." She added that fans' shorter attention spans make T20 cricket a favorite over five-day tests and the 50-over game. Zinta: "Content has become handheld. People have the appetite to watch a T20 game because it is three hours, it’s a lot of action and it’s very athletic. It has evolved into cricket with a lot of entertainment value and speed" (REUTERS, 9/15).
